Five Photos … with Jennifer Young

My guest on the Five Photos feature today is writer of romantic suspense and contemporary romance, Jennifer Young. Jennifer is the author of the Lake Garda series and, more recently, of the Dangerous Friends series. I’m delighted to welcome her to the blog today.

Thanks, Sharon, for inviting me on your blog. I am strongly motivated by landscapes, the environment and travel. Although I wouldn’t pretend to be a photographer I almost always have photo prompts for my books, so it’s hardly surprising I’m keen to share some of my pictures with you. (If only I could show you more than five!)

Rydal Caves, Lake District.

First up, here’s a picture taken from inside one of the Rydal Caves, in the Lake District. I spend a lot of time in the Lakes and am currently writing a series of detective novels set there. These former slate quarries are up on the hill above Rydal Water and the photo was taken early in the morning when there was no one about. The place was completely silent and the water inside totally still. It was a very special moment in a very special place.

Lowther Castle, Cumbria.

My second picture is also from Cumbria. I love a good ruin and ruins don’t get much better than Lowther Castle. Less than a century ago it was one of England’s most spectacular stately homes, seat of an extravagant, spendthrift Earl. I won’t retell the story of the estate, but it’s a riches-to-rags one. The estate is being regenerated and although the castle is a roofless ruin, it contains a beautiful garden. For me, the picture encapsulates the idea that real life stories are often as haunting as any we could make up.

London in the rain.

Thirdly, we come to London. Last year, on a very wet night, I went to the World Athletic Championships in London and this picture was taken on my phone as we all shuffled back to get a train into the centre of town. It may not be the greatest of photographs but it captures the moment as I experienced it. As a writer, that’s something I try to do with words.

Gravestone

Fourthly, a gravestone. Like many people I can’t resist exploring a cemetery and this gravestone has, I suspect, many a tale to tell. Was young William the golden boy of his generation, only to be sacrificed to his country’s need? Did John and Walter set off to San Francisco to make their fortune, and was Nathaniel the black sheep of the family, dispatched in disgrace to Buenos Aires only to he die in a bar brawl? And what about Ben and Mary, of whom we know nothing but their birth and death dates? When I see a grave like this in a quiet churchyard, I can’t help but let my imagination run riot.

And finally …

And finally, a picture that haunts me. Every author has an inner editor and this is what mine would look like if it were a cat.

Haha, love it! Thanks so much for sharing your photos with us, Jennifer.

Jennifer Young is an Edinburgh-based author of contemporary romance and romantic suspense. Her books are rich in a sense of place — visit Majorca for a romantic adventure, Italy for some new adult romance, or Edinburgh for dark deeds and romance in Scotland’s capital.

Her Dangerous Friends series focuses on the adventures of former political activist Bronte and her policeman boyfriend, their romance at odds with their very different outlooks on life. She is currently writing a series of detective novels set in the English Lake District.